Various types of fasteners are used for assembly of furniture and the like wherein it is desirable to make use of a fastener which is strong yet simple and quick to use. This includes the commercial assembly of cabinets and the like as well as assembly of furniture at the factory by professionals. The ready to assemble (RTA) furniture industry is one particular example involving furniture which is sold to the customer in a disassembled form that makes use of appropriate fasteners such that the customer is able to assemble the furniture in their homes using conventional tools. Fasteners designed for this use are preferably easy to use by the general public, while being secure and well hidden upon assembly of the RTA furniture.
An example of a fastener for RTA furniture is illustrated in European Application No. 0 949 424 to Hafele GmbH &CO. That application discloses a fastener for use in mounting a pair of panels together wherein the fastener includes a first expansible wedge member arranged to mount in a bore in one of the panels and a second expansible wedge member arranged to mount in a bore in the other panel. An actuator for the wedges is located at one end of the fastener such that the second wedge member is located centrally on the fastener and oriented such that upon assembly, an apex of the second wedge member is directed inwardly towards the panel securing the second wedge member therein. This occurs due to the location of the actuator at one end of the fastener which requires both wedges to be oriented in the same direction in order to make use of a common actuator. In this orientation, expansion of the second wedge member causes a wedging action to urge the fastener out of the panel instead of drawing the panels together. Furthermore, the first and second wedge members require different bore sizes in which to be received which results in added tooling and manufacturing costs when forming the panels.